Black Wings
by SilentVex
Summary: Sometimes all it takes is a single person to change the world. Now Fairy Tail's Black Wings will unfurl to a new future!
1. The Boy Without A Name

**Author's notes: So it begins... If you've read some of my other stories like Laughter Of Yesterday or Activation Energy you'll know that I've been working towards this project for a few months now. Over the next month I hope to get one or two more chapters out and will probably be going back and redoing parts of these again and again until September, so that'll be fun. **

**I hope you guys enjoy and... yeah, I don't feel like overloding the ANs today so let's just get to it!  
**

**- Vex out.**

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**Black Wings – Chapter 1: The Boy Without A Name**

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**X-776**

It had been a normal day in the research facility; everybody went about their daily activities making progress on whatever it was that they worked on. Due to their location being hidden deep within a rather expansive mountain range the personnel were able to get away with some quite shady stuff – perfect, given their agenda.

Unlike some of their sister facilities they were given free reign over what they chose to research by their superiors; test subjects, equipment, specialist help – whatever it was they wanted, they had to do with as they pleased. It was a good deal from their point of view... until now.

An explosion caused the entrance to the lobby to blow inwards. The noise echoed through the corridors making all within freeze in shock, confusion or a bit of both.

''Hey? What the devil's going on up here?'' yelled a rather disgruntled scientist who had been in the middle of organising his notes. He was quickly silenced by an electric-charged punch. From out of the dust two males walked out, one a man with reddish orange hair, the other a blonde teen.

''I still don't get why Gramps sent you with me. I can handle a job like this by myself!'' the boy in his mid teens complained, his hand still buzzing with electricity. His bright yellow hair was spiked back and a distinctive lightning bolt-shaped scar crossed over his right eye.

The middle-aged man accompanying him laughed. ''Sure you can, Master just wanted me to see how you were getting along.''

''What? Am I being put up for promotion?'' he asked excitedly.

This produced yet another laugh. ''Sorry Laxus, but you've still got a bit further to go until you're ready for that.''

The fifteen year-old sighed, then made a determined expression. ''It's only a matter of time now! Okay, let's split up and find those kids!''

They nodded before separating, moving deeper into the building through the winding corridors and knocking out any enemies they found on the way to their objective.

Just another day in the life of Guild Mages.

**Elsewhere...**

The professor took a sip of his coffee as he looked over his work, the regular beeping from the consoles attached to the container serving as a soothing metronome.

''Magic injectors one through four are running as normal sir,'' reported one of his subordinates.

''Very good, carry on,'' he said dismissively.

''Actually...''

''What is it?''

''Well sir, I just heard something from the others. Is it true that Subject 9 has been activated?''

''Yes, but don't get any ideas! It will take several months before 14 reaches full maturity. Until then we must remain diligent, even the smallest oversight could result in failure.'' It was a warning that he had given a hundred times before but he had to keep repeating it, it was important to remember just how badly things could go wrong.

The subordinate just nodded. ''Of course, just like 4 and 5... Thank you Sir, I'll be going now.'' With that he left.

'Good kid. He will go far if he keeps at it,' the professor mused, taking another sip. His focus returned to the large pod before him; it looked like a blue liquid yet was solid to the touch and had numerous tubes attached to it each performing different tasks. There were the Magic Injectors which were needed to mold the subject into the final product, life support, monitoring systems and so on.

Finally, there suspended in the pod was a black haired boy. He appeared to be sleeping, hanging there with his eyes closed – his young teenage body on show. His development was truly astonishing from a scientific perspective, but the professor couldn't shake the feeling that there was something off about the whole project.

Was what they were doing...?

'No, there's no place for doubt in this. I'm in for the long run now.'

He was broken from his thoughts by the shrill voice of his personal assistant. If he had the power to he would replace her in a heartbeat, but alas personnel assignments weren't up to him.

''Professor!'' she called, ''there's an incoming message from headquarters! They say it's urgent!''

He sighed before walking to his office, thanking her absent-mindedly, trying to block out her irritating voice. 'They say urgent but it'll be yet another report request.' Between failed subjects and other complications the higher-ups had become rather strict on regular reports. These weren't exactly the ideal conditions for a successful experiment but they had to work with what they had.

Once sat behind his desk and his mug had been set down he pressed a button, activating the communications lacrima. The screen that was static changed to one showing the image of his superior.

''Hello Director,'' he greeted. ''What can I do for yo-''

''No time for pleasantries, we have little time. You are to gather all research materials and documents before evacuating. We are abandoning Laboratory 14.''

''What?! Why? Subject 14 is progressing as planned. There have been no problems with-''

''That is unimportant. Not too long ago we lost contact with one of our facilities – the fools there were too careless and exposed themselves again.''

''Oh good grief...'' the professor didn't need to be told which one it was, there had been issues regarding that place before. It wasn't too far from where they were currently stationed either; if they were found, it wouldn't be too long until they were discovered too.

''It appears they really screwed up this time. Their last transmission reported Mages from one of the Legal guilds attacking.''

''I understand... what do we do about 14?''

''We can't risk taking the time to transfer it, the subjects are expendable anyway-''

''Wait! Were these the Master's orders? If we slip up it'll be our heads you know!''

''There's no time! You must leave ASAP! We will arrange a replacement once you are relocated. Now get to work!'' With that final order given, the connection was shut off and the screen returned to static.

He sighed and massaged his temple. 'Well and order is an order...' he thought getting up and leaving his office. ''Everyone,'' he called, getting the attention of all in the room, ''I want you to remain calm. We are evacuating this facility, you have five minutes to gather all vital data we have. Subject 14 is to be left behind but make sure nothing else valuable is forgotten.''

Say what you like about Dark Guilds but when they were discovered they certainly knew how to get the job done quickly. He had given them five minutes but they were done in little more than three. With that there was only one thing left to do. He felt sorry to leave 14 but there was no helping it. He gave the boy one last look before turning away.

_''All personnel are to prepare for spacial extraction.'' _Said the female automated voice._ ''Countdown begin: 10, 9...''_

**At the other facility...**

''Now then kid, you don't want to do anything rash. It'd be a shame if something were to happen to this sweet little girl, wouldn't it?''

''Tch, you coward...''

Laxus had defeated all in his way until he had finally found the stolen children from the nearby village. Unfortunately one was being held captive one of the enemy. There was nothing he could do without risking the girl's safety, leaving him powerless. The man edged his way along the far wall of the room.

''So here's how it's gonna go: you are going to stand there while I walk out to freedom. You won't do anything or else you know what will happen and you don't want that.'' The mocking smirk on the man's face made Laxus sick.

Suddenly a hand burst through the wall and grasped the man's shoulder and in his fright he released the girl.

''You're coming with me,'' said a voice on the other side of the wall before the man was pulled through screaming. A few seconds later the screaming stopped and Laxus' companion walked through the wall... literally. ''Well that was fun. How are the kids?'' He wore a dark cape and matching pants along with armoured shoulder and waist plates. In one hand he held a bundle of papers that he had found in his little explore of the facility.

''With this they're all safe. Thanks for the help,'' Laxus said gratefully.

''Good work. Now all that's left to do is get these kids back home, I'll leave that to you okay?''

''And what will you be doing?''

''I found out that these guys have got some friends nearby. I was thinking about paying them a little visit,'' he explained, passing over one of the sheets.

''Black Chimera? Wait... these guys are a Dark guild?!''

''No I think they're just a side branch. The main base is somewhere else.'' The other documents he found had given him a pretty damn good idea where that might be. That was something for the master to handle later though. ''Mke sure those kids get home safely, that's your job!''

''All right, give'em hell Gildarts.''

''You bet,'' he said as he left, cape billowing behind him.

It didn't take long to reach the other facility although the fact that the entrance was hidden in one of the many caves made it a nuisance to find. He wasted no time in obliterating the door and strolled on in, expecting a fight. He was disappointed when nobody arrived. Room by room he searched and not a single person.

'Walking door to door is such a pain...' Usually he would just destroy the place and be done with it but he had to make sure that no innocents were still inside...

The place was much smaller than what they had just swept through but he should have bumped into at least someone by now. Instead all he heard was the steady beat of his footsteps.

Beep.

''Huh...? What was that just now?'' Gildarts froze and listened intently.

Beep. Beep.

It was definitely faint but there was something out there. The closer he got the louder the beeping became, a mysterious excitement building as though he were on the verge of some great discovery.

''Hm? What's this?''

He stepped into a large circular room in the centre sat a large blue pod hooked up to numerous machines. Within floated a young teen-aged boy. He had short black hair. His body looked to be of average height if a bit thin; the skin was an unnaturally pale colour, the kind you'd see on someone who had never seen the light of day.

''Good thing I didn't smash this place up...'' he said to himself. ''Hey! Can you hear me in there?'' The lack of response was worrying, but he couldn't waste time, setting to work finding a way to free the trapped boy. No matter how long he looked at the consoles he couldn't begin to interpret the information displayed. The beeping was getting a bit annoying too.

''Well, only one thing to do...'' He walked up to the pod grinning and tapped it a few times. It felt like glass but was extremely thick – nothing that couldn't be dealt with of course. Just one pulse of magic energy from his hand and a multitude of cracks appeared, spreading and then shattering the pod into thousands of pieces. Before the boy fell to the floor, Gildarts reached out and plucked him from the air, knelt down and lay him down to rest.

The many shards hit the ground oddly enough with a splat. In the few seconds they were in mid-air they had changed into a liquid, then solidifying on the ground just as quickly. 'Interesting... looks like I'll have a lot to talk to the master about when we get back to the guild.'

The boy was peaceful for a few seconds before retching violently, coughing up more of the blue substance. ''Easy there. You'll be okay, just get it all up.'' he said patting the boys back comfortingly.

Once done clearing his body of... whatever it was, the boy wearily raised his head and looked the mage in the face.

''Who... wh-what... I... ugh...'' That was all he managed before his eyes rolled into the back of his head, passing out. In those few seconds Gildarts had seen something disturbing: the boys eyes. They were a deep, bloody crimson...

**Later...**

''Thank you both so much! I dread to think what may have happened had you not responded to the request as quickly as you did.'' The Village Elder shuddered at the thought.

''Don't worry about it, we're just glad it all ended as well as it did,'' said Laxus.

''You and me both young man.''

''What about the boy?'' Gildarts asked. He had turned up around an hour after Laxus did with the boy in his arms, his cape wrapped around him to hide his nakedness. The boy was then passed off to rest while they looked for his family.

''Unfortunately nobody knows who he is, there's not been any reports of a missing person matching his description either...''

''Hmm...'' Gildarts hummed thoughtfully. ''I'm going to go talk with him,'' he decided.

''Very well, he woke up not too long ago. Just to warn you: it appears he has no memory of anything regarding his past.''

''I see.''

…

Gildarts slouched into a chair at the end of the bed while Laxus chose to lean against the wall, arms crossed. The nameless boy sat upright in bed with his hands clasped together. He wore a plain white shirt and a pair of shorts that someone must have found for him. In such a normal environment he looked like a patient in a hospital, although a doctor who had looked at him had said he was as healthy as can be.

''Hey there kid. How're you doing?''

He turned his gaze to meet Gildarts. His face gave away nothing as to what his mind was thinking but his eyes... those eyes... Two black dots floating in a sea of crimson. They were uncertain, confused, lost, but there was no hint of fear. Impressive...

''Oh. You're the guy from before.''

''That's right, my name's Gildarts Clive. Standing over there is Laxus Dreyar.'' he introduced. Laxus just nodded.

''Gildarts... and Laxus? Right. My name's... my name is...''

''Don't worry about it, we already know that you can't remember anything.''

'' Still it's strange that nobody's come for you. I'd have thought that someone around here would have known you. I guess there's no guarantee that you're even from here...''

''Actually there is something...'' his words were slow, as if trying to piece them together was as difficult as whatever he was remembering. ''There were people... in white coats running around. I could see them... hear them. Emergency spacial... something... and the next moment, they were gone. I was alone. Then you came...''

''They must have used a teleportation spell. It's the only way they could have escaped so quickly.''

''Guess we spooked them after the first hit.''

''Well that answers one question, now what to do with you?'' It was an issue that had to be dealt with.

The boy didn't have much in the way of helpful responses. ''I don't know... What do I do now?''

''We could leave you here – I'm sure you could find a peaceful life here or... hmm...''

''Gildarts? What're you thinking?'' Laxus sounded slightly worried.

He chuckled, ''I think I know just the place for you. But first, you need a name...''

**The Next Day.**

''We're almost there.''

''It sucks that we couldn't just take the train.''

''Oh don't start that again!''

''Well it's true that it is your fault we can't!''

''What do you mean by that?''

''Don't worry, you'll see what I mean in a few minutes.'

The three had been walking all day and were finally about to reach their destination. There was a curious ringing sound coming from the direction in which they were walking. Once they reached the end of the path Magnolia came into sight. Yet another amazed gasp.

The large town stretched from the base of the hill on which they stood right to the edge of the lake beyond, surrounded by forests on both sides.

There were several large streets in addition to the many smaller alleys all over the place; the central – and largest – street lead directly to a cathedral located right in the centre of town. A river flowed with many bridges constructed to allow speedy movement across. The scale of it all was far beyond that of the village they had left behind.

He had been gasping non-stop at all the new things that he had seen on the short journey from the mountains; it turned out that the world was so much bigger than the pod he had known.

''Attention all citizens of Magnolia, we are now entering the Gildarts shift! Please move to the designated areas!'' someone announced.

''Uhh... Gildarts Shift?''

''Just watch,'' said Laxus.

With little more than a small rumble as a warning, the whole town suddenly burst into life. Whole areas were being moved around in various directions like the plates of the earth: up, down, left, right. All the changes finally stopped when a long, deep walkway was made running straight through to a building on the far side of town.

Before them the floor opened up and a large staircase shot out of the ground.

''What... what just happened?!''

''That was the Gildarts Shift,'' said man stated simply.

''How detailed. Can you explain Laxus?'' It turned out sarcasm was something that came naturally to him.

''All right: the Gildarts Shift was designed to stop this guy from destroying half the homes in Magnolia whenever he cam back from a job. Let's say he can be a bit... clumsy sometimes...''

''You're that strong?''

''Well everyone wouldn't have agreed to this plan if he wasn't. I don't remember what it was like during construction but I definitely envy them,'' Laxus sighed. ''Insanely strong, master of Crush magic and an infamous womanizer: that is the ace of our guild, Gildarts.''

''Pretty much – just don't tell the other kids about that last part.''

''So you can see why he isn't allowed on the trains anymore...''

Together they descended to the walkway. It was so long that it took the better half of ten minutes to cross the distance – not surprising considering they were crossing the entire town! They ascended to stand in front of the guild hall. It was much larger than it had seemed before: three floors sat on top of each other like a pagoda, each one smaller than the next. Each floor had a roof of curved red tiles, enhancing the pagoda image. The middle floor bore a flag of the guild which occupied the building.

They had told him about it but nothing could compare to seeing it in person. He turned to Gildarts, eyes full of wonder.

''So this is...''

''Yup! Welcome to Fairy Tail, Shinn.''

Shinn smiled and was about to say something when the red doors to the guild opened. A girl with long brown hair ran out, a cheerful look on her face. ''Welcome back you guys!''

''Hey Cana, good to be back!'' Gildarts grinned.

''I don't know why you're so excited, we were only gone a couple of days.'' Laxus said to the younger girl who just poked out her tongue in response.

''Now now Laxus no need to be like that. It's good to be happy when your friends return home, regardless of how long they've been gone.'' The speaker was an old man who was, for lack of a better description, tiny! He was certainly shorter than Shinn and Cana who stood smaller than Laxus. ''It's good to see you both back safely.''

''It's good to be back Master.'' Gildarts responded.

''Hang on... Master? This old man is your master?!''

''That's right. Master, this is Shinn. We... found him while on the job and thought it would be best to bring him here for the time being.''

Makarov walked up to Shinn and looked him over, as though evaluating the boy. His gaze lingered for a while on Shinn's face before he turned back to Gildarts. ''I see. It looks like we have quite a few things to discuss. Come on in and you guys can tell me all about it.'' he said, walking back inside, followed closely by Gildarts and Laxus.

''Hey, aren't you going with them?'' Shinn looked at Cana who was still standing outside with him, her face one of bemusement. The expression was erased a second later when she sidled up beside him. ''By the way I'm Cana. Cana Alberona. It's nice to meet you Shinn. You're gonna love it here.'' As she said that she got a firm grip on his arm.

''Hey wait! What're you...?''

''C'mon, let's go!'' she exclaimed, dragging him into the guild. And over the threshold into his new home.


	2. Finding Your Wings

**Author's notes: So, here's chapter two. Yeah I think it's going well so far. (Insert various ramblings of your choosing as it is one in the morning and I cannot be bothered to write any notes today, maybe I'll add to it tomorrow...)  
**

**Hope you enjoy!**

**-Vex out!**

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**Black Wings – Chapter 2: Finding Your Wings  
**

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Guild life was quite something. As a Mage you take on job requests of your choosing for whatever rewards are on offer, then at the end of the day you can return to your guild hall and socialise with other members. It really isn't that bad of a deal when you think about it. Unfortunately when it comes to jobs complications seem to occur all too often.

Such was the case for one of Fairy Tail's youngest mages who was finally returning from what should have been a two day job.

''Hey guys I'm ba-''

''Tell me about the two types of magic!''

''Magic can be separated into two classifications: Caster Magic and Holder Magic. Caster Magic is produced from the person's body without the use of extra equipment as opposed to Holder Magic which uses an external source with their own magic source to cast spells.''

''Okay but that's just kid's stuff! Next give me an example of each type!''

''For Holder one example is Card Magic – which you use Cana. It involves using cards to produce spells of various effects and elements, not just of combat purposes either. There are many Caster Magics, some of which can be sorted into sub-categories such as Maker Magic. One type of said magic is the ability to produce ice in multiple forms called Ice-Maker. There is... someone in the guild who uses it... but I cannot remember who it was...''

''That's Gray Fullbuster. Speaking of which, hi Gray.'' Finally Cana turned to greet her returning friend: a boy with spiky black hair who was rather... shirtless. ''So where did your clothes go this time?''

''Hey it's not my fault! It's that damn Vulcan that stole it... I spent days wandering around Mt Hakobe looking for that monkey.''

''So... your shirt?''

''Frozen solid with the Vulcan.'' Gray's answer made Cana slap her forehead helplessly. ''Anyway what're you doing? Who's the new guy?''

Shinn smiled politely hoping to make a good first impression. Social interaction was one of the things that Cana had hammered into his brain at the beginning. ''Hello, my name is Shinn and-''

''-and I'm his teacher!'' Cana exclaimed proudly, cutting Shinn off with a broad smile spread across her face.

''Teacher?''

''That's right, she's been working with him for the last week ever since his arrival and has done a fine job from what I've been seeing,'' said Makarov sat on the bar's counter.

The ground floor of Fairy Tail's guild hall was like a large lunch hall, with a wooden floor and a balcony held up by pillars, mainly consisting of wooden benches and tables. At the end of the room was a bar run by some of Fairy Tail's employees. Beside said bar was a request board on which various job requests were posted, which were then taken by working mages of the guild.

''Thanks Master,'' said Cana, looking deeply pleased with herself.

''So... ummm...''

''Yes Shinn? What is it?''

''Well I was just wondering if I am ready to start … you know, learning to use magic now?'' His tone was polite and reserved – almost hesitant – but if you looked in his eyes you would see hope and a deep excitement building.

Makarov stroked his thick white moustache as he thought how to respond. ''Sure why not,'' he approached the table at which Shinn and Cana were sat at before continuing. ''Now Cana, if you'd please.''

The girl revealed a deck of cards and began quickly sorting through it. ''No... Nope... Not that one... Here it is! Okay, watch me first.'' She lay a plain white card on the table and placed her fingertips on the two corners closest to her. There was nothing especially interesting about the card but after a few seconds, starting at the corners and spreading out, the card turned to a deep violet.

''As you can see the card is reacting to her magic energy,'' Makarov explained. ''Just think of it as a magic detector. No need to rush either, remember it can take a while for your body to find it.''

''Right, it's really easy to use: just concentrate on your inner energy energy and the card will react,'' Cana added.. Removing her hands caused the card to return to its former blankness as she pushed it across to Shinn. ''Here you try.'' Through all this Gray stood to one side silently observing, as was one other.

''So... touch the card,'' he said as he did so, '' and focus on the energy.'' Despite saying that, he didn't exactly understand what that meant, so he just imagined what it would be like to use magic.

'Whatever that's like,' he thought.

And so he sat there, eyes closed, concentrating. The seconds turned to minutes. At five minutes Gray walked away calling the whole thing a let down. Ten minutes... fifteen, twenty. It was then that Makarov excused himself for some work he had to do. Half an hour... on and on... It was nearing an hour when Shinn removed his hands and stood up.

Cana looked at him with a sad smile as she took back the card. ''Come on, it's getting late. We should be getting back now.''

''I am sorry Cana... I just wasted your time... huh?'' he felt strange. His face was getting hot and something wet trickled down. Then he felt a pair of arms wrap around him.

''Hey now, no need to cry, it's okay.''

''Cry? What is that?''

It was strange to hear someone ask that question. Crying, laughter, confusion, all kinds of facial expressions – Shinn had asked her about those and many other things over the past week. It really drove home the fact that he knew absolutely nothing about the world, people, himself... anything – not even the simplest things that even a child understands. Cana couldn't help but want to help him.

''It's what people do when they're sad.''

''Sad... that is not a good emotion is it?''

''To put it one way... Here's one last lesson for today: when it comes to trying new things it's normal to not be good at them right away, it's normal to fail at first. What's important is that you get up and try again instead of just giving up. That's what we call determination!''

''Determination...? Right, what you are saying is that I should try again tomorrow? That I should not give up?''

''Exactly! Now let's get going!''

**Several days later...**

''Gah! This is hopeless!''

''Still no luck I'm guessing?''

''Hm? Oh, it's you Gray,'' Shinn noted, then realizing what he just said, corrected himself ''I-I mean good morning Gray. How are you today?''

''Okay, we need to sort out how you talk.''

''The way I... talk? What is wrong with my speech?''

''You sound so uptight when you're around other people. You need to lighten up, act more casual.''

''Act more casual... I may not understand what that is but I will try my best!'' he then remembered what it was he was doing before. ''In response to to your question, no I have not succeeded yet.''

Gray shook his head at the boy's formal way of talking. ''Have you though that maybe you're just not cut out to be a mage? Not many are you know?''

''I know... only ten percent of the population of Fiore have the capacity to use magic... but I still do not want to give up on the possibility.''

''In that case, how about we try something a little different?'' asked a third voice. The two turned to face the newcomer.

''Laxus? What're you thinking?'' The blonde whispered his plan to the Ice Mage so Shinn couldn't hear. ''I don't know that sounds a bit...''

Laxus shrugged. ''It was only an idea. Guess not-''

''Wait!'' Shinn shot up from the book he'd been reading. ''I am willing try anything, just lead the way!''

''Well then it's settled, coming Gray?''

''Sure, it's not like I've got anything better to do.''

Laxus and Gray proceeded to lead Shinn through the streets of Magnolia until the came to the edge of a the large forest that lay to the east. They entered, Shinn still none the wiser as to their reason for coming.

''So... what exactly are we here to do?''

''Well, seeing as nothing else worked, maybe putting you in a real life situation will start up your magic,'' Laxus answered.

''I see.'' Then a thought struck Shinn. ''Wait... so what will I be doing...?''

**Back at the guild...**

Makarov shut the book which he had been reading and laid it to rest on the desk in his office on the second floor of the guild. ''Still nothing...'' he said to himself. His mind cast back to what Gildarts had told him when he and Laxus had returned from that mission.

_''I found him in some kind of container lacrima which was hooked up to all these machines. When I smashed it one of them started leaking some kind of magic energy so I didn't have much time to look around after that but you know as well as I do, with eyes like those...''_

Eyes of that colour weren't natural – he must have been exposed to a large amount of magical energy for them to mutate in such a way; thus, Makarov had spent the last week attempting to research what exactly would have produced them, to no avail.

It was important that he identified what that cause was as soon as possible. Depending on the answer he found, it might be for the best if Shinn never awakened his magic powers. From Gildarts' description it wasn't difficult to tell that he had been pumped full of energy... which made it all the stranger that it didn't show itself at the first opportunity.

'Perhaps Porlyusica would be able to find something...' Now that he had thought about it, that was probably the best course of action to begin with. Leaving his office, he hopped onto the guard rails of the balcony overlooking the first floor and scanned the hall for Shinn.

''Looking for someone Master?'' Makarov looked down to see a young man with blue hair.

''Macao, have you seen Shinn lately?''

''The kid with black hair? Not in a while I don't think... last I saw was him going somewhere with Laxus and Gray.''

Makarov frowned at this development. 'Why do I get the feeling that they're not just showing him around the town...' Seconds later a bird flew in via an open window and landed next to the old Master. In its beak was a note which he took and the bird flew off again as he began to read.

''What is it Master?'' Macao asked.

After a few seconds of silence Makarov replied, ''I'll be back soon,'' and quickly left.

**In the East Forest...**

''Are you two... sure about this? I mean it seems rather reckless.''

''Oh come in it's not as tough as it looks!''

''Yeah, and if it doesn't work then we'll step in and save you.''

''Well... if you say so...'' still uncertain, Shinn stepped out of the shrubbery into a clearing. Before him with its back turned was a large ape-like creature with green fur. It was a Gorian – otherwise called a Forest Vulcan – and it hadn't noticed him yet, but that was about to change.

''H-hey you there, G-Gorian!'' It was impressive that he had managed to get that much out with how much he was shaking. 'This must be that fear thing Cana told me about.'

''Huh?'' The creature turned and looked around dumbly before spotting Shinn. ''Puny human? What do you want?''

''I-I... I want to fight you!''

The Gorian looked blankly at him for a few seconds, then slowly approached. Up close the size difference was made clear – it was about five times larger than Shinn and managed to cast a shadow that blocked any sunlight from reaching him. It extended a finger on one of its gargantuan hands and poked Shinn who fell over, much to its amusement.

''Gyahahaha! That funny! You fight me? You not able to even stand up!''

Shinn quickly got to his shaking feet knowing that Gray and Laxus were watching and not wanting to embarrass himself. ''I am serious, fight me!''

The ape was quick to respond by flicking him away, sending Shinn tumbling. ''Buzz off little bug, you boring. I no fight you,'' it said as it made to leave.

''What's wrong? You afraid?''

It slowly turned to see Shinn standing up once again, but this time there was no amusement, only anger at having been insulted. ''Gorian not afraid! Gorian crush puny human!'' it roared, leaping forward to squash Shinn with one punch. Shinn managed to roll away at the last second; wasting no time he charged.

'I really hope this works!'

From the bushes Laxus and Gray watched on, waiting to see what would happen. Putting his faith in luck Shinn thrust his fist forward and made contact... with no evident results. The Gorian looked down upon the powerless human and sent him flying into a tree with a kick. Before Shinn had a chance to even hit the ground the Gorian had him pinned up against the tree's trunk with his hand.

''Now I squash little bug.''

It pressed down on Shinn making him cry out in pain. Seeing this Gray had had enough. He dived out of cover and pressed a clenched fist into his other open palm.

''Oi monkey! How about you face someone your own size? Ice-Make: Lance!''

He threw his hands out and multiple lances of ice shot out, striking the Gorian's back. ''Ugh? Hey! Where all you pests coming from?'' The spell definitely hurt it but not as much as Gray would have thought seeing as Shinn was still pinned to the tree.

''Guess we found a though one. Don't worry Shinn, I'll handle this.''

''No stop!'' Shinn yelled, clearly in pain.

''Like hell I will! You can't handle something like this alone!''

''I can... ugh... and I will!''

''You idiot do you wanna die?!''

That question struck a chord somewhere deep within Shinn. It was as though he had been transported somewhere other than deep within the East Forest. A sort of weightlessness replaced the feeling of being crushed against a tree.

He felt himself in some kind of pod. A beeping came from outside. A pair of voices... arguing.

_''But sir, if we go through with this it could die!''_

_''Risks are necessary in our line of work... proceed with phase 6! I'm afraid this is going to hurt... a lot.'' _

Blinding agony.

Shinn found himself back in the forest but something was different. He wasn't afraid any more. There was no fear of the Gorian extinguishing his life for good. No... that feeling had been eviscerated by one much more potent.

Rage.

''Grr, you think something like this will kill me Fullbuster?! Well guess again! I'm gonna fight this filthy ape and I'M GONNA WIN!'' He then began screaming wildly in anger and pain as the original feeling flooded back into his body.

What Gray was seeing left him dumbfounded.

The Gorian let its target finally fall as it stumbled back in fear.

Laxus continued to watch intently at the anomaly before him.

Shinn was on his knees, clutching his head as he screamed aloud. A dark aura was swirling around him like a miniature hurricane as something unseen was bubbling beneath the back of his white shirt. Suddenly that white back was stained by two separate long red marks.

'Could it be that the magic is tearing his body apart?' Laxus thought, beginning to panic. If that were the case he could have only minutes, if not seconds, to think of something something. 'What do I do?!'

Laxus had no time left it seemed as the bubbling grew increasingly more violent as though it were a creature fighting to escape its cage. Then, with one last pained yell and a tear, two large black masses shot out from Shinn's upper back. His screaming stopped and was replaced by deep, heavy breaths as the two things protruding from his back began to change shape. First they curved so that they were facing to the left and right. Next they began to stretch downwards, increasing in surface area by the second. Then a sort of black mist was produced, slowly thickening into countless near identical shapes. Feathers.

A pair of jet black wings were the final product

Once Shinn's breathing had finally calmed down he slowly got to his feet, wobbly with the unfamiliar added weight on his back. Once at full attention he looked curiously at his hand which was shrouded in some of the leftover dark energy. Slowly, the energy left his hand and gathered into a floating black orb.

Like a child who had just discovered something new, Shinn began to bounce the orb in his hand, never actually touching it. His eyes widened as though he had just been struck by an idea; he raised his other hand in front of him palm up and sure enough another orb appeared in that one too. The two orbs were then juggled effortlessly... then three... then four... five. At five Shinn stopped his little playtime and the orbs flew above him with a flick of his wrist. They hung there, still as statues, perfectly spaced apart.

''What was it you called me before Gorian? An insect? Or a bug perhaps?'' Beating his wings he rose into the air until he was face to face with his foe. He spoke with an unnerving indifference, as though the being that had been beating on him before was the only insect around.

''You no normal human... what are you?'' it asked.

''Who could say?'' Shinn shrugged. ''What's wrong? You afraid?''

The same question. The same reaction.

''Like hell, human!'' it roared, throwing a punch. Rather than dodge, Shinn calmly raised his left hand and, although he was pushed back slightly, stopped it in its tracks. ''Wha...? How...?''

''Simple,'' he said, lazily raising his right hand. ''Magic.''

With a flick of his hand, Shinn's five dark orbs shot forward and exploded in the Gorian's face, causing it to cry out in pain. Not wasting any time Shinn followed suit, landing a barrage of hits, further injuring it. Producing more orbs from out of nowhere and firing drove the Gorian into a corner, cowering at the base of a tree.

Shinn landed gently before it and produced another orb, larger than the previous ones, at point blanc range. He drew back an arm and said, '' don't worry, this will hurt me a lot more than it'll hurt you.''

''Really?''

''No. Dark Pulse!'' He thrust his palm at the orb. Due to the close proximity it was impossible to see what the spell actually did but, suffice to say, it was quite effective – sending a Gorian through a tree with next to no momentum behind it took power.

''Now that that's dealt with...'' Shinn said as he turned to the next order of business. Gray. The ice-mage hadn't moved an inch the whole time, instead just watching in shock and awe. ''Tell me Gray, are you afraid?''

Gray honestly didn't know the answer to that question. Just minutes ago Shinn had been a nervous mild-mannered boy who couldn't use an ounce of magic and now he just dominated one of the more powerful examples of the Vulcan family that Gray had encountered, all without breaking a sweat. But still... afraid wouldn't be the word he'd use... intimidated maybe, but not afraid.

''Nah, I've seen worse.'' Gray replied, then with a smile added, ''Nice work Shinn.''

Shinn returned the smile in kind, ''Thanks for the help Gray. And thank you too Laxus! I owe you one!'' Laxus nodded, smirking. His smirk faded when he saw something odd.

''Hey, what's happening to your wings?''

From the furthest points it looked as if they were dissolving into small black particles. This continued until nothing remained except two bleeding injuries on Shinn's back. The particles then shot into the injuries, disappearing completely.

''Well.. that was... weird...'' Shinn failed to finish his thought as his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he passed out.

…

Shinn awoke to the sound of a woman's voice.

''… Makarov of your whereabouts the moment I noticed you. He should be here any moment now.''

''Oh crap.''

The sound of a door slamming open.

''YOU BOYS ARE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE!''

''Double crap!''

Swift footsteps.

''No, now you're the one in trouble you old fool! Who do you think you are coming into MY house and slamming MY door and yelling your head off!?''

''Ow ow ow ow ow! Okay I'm sorry! … thank you. Now, you two had better explain yourselves and it had better be good.''

''Well...''

''It was my fault. I'm the one who came up with the idea, it's all my responsibility.''

''Laxus...''

It was at this point that Shinn sat up. ''Please don't be mad Master. They only did it for my sake.''

''Ah, so you're awake.'' It was an elderly woman who said this. She was tall and slim with pink hair held in a bob with bangs that framed her face. ''How are you feeling?''

''A little tingly... but fine.'' Looking down he saw multiple bandages decorating his body, luckily he didn't feel any pain, just a faint dull numbness.

''Yes well, that would be your magic. It was certainly a sight to behold.''

''His magic...?'' Makarov asked.

''Yes you fool, magic. Surely you felt it earlier?''

''You're saying that was... hmmm.''

''Is there something wrong?'' Shinn asked.

''No nothing to worry about.'' he replied after a few minutes delay.

The woman sighed and sat at a working desk. ''If there's nothing else would you all leave. I despise the thought of humans in my home but the thought of having to listen to guild talk is even worse.''

Shinn got out of the bed in which he had been resting and promptly walked out with the other boys; he and Gray chatting excitedly about showing everyone back at the guild Shinn's new magic. Laxus just walked silently, knowing that punishment was coming.

Makarov was stopped from following by Porlyusica.

''Makarov. Keep an eye on that boy. You know as well as I do what dark magic like that can do to people.''

''You don't need to tell me that. Thank you for everything.''

''I was merely doing my job. As Fairy Tail's medical adviser it's my job to deal with all your brat's injuries.''

''You know, he's technically not a member of Fairy Tail... yet.''


	3. A Touch Of Scarlet

**Author's notes: All right that's a wrap! Gotta say I'm really getting into the swing of this story.  
**

**This is probably going to be the last chapter for the month as I deal with some other real life stuff and maybe work on a one-shot or something to give me something else to work on - you know, too much of a good thing and all that.**

**Anyway, in this chapter it's been several months since Shinn officially joined Fairy Tail and on the way back from a job he and Laxus have a chance encounter that they're certainly not going to forget.**

**By the way just for reference, the conversion rate between jewels and real money is 100 jewels to 1US$. I feel like that has to be said if you're like me and am pedantic about these things.**

**So, I hope you enjoy!**

**- Vex out!**

* * *

**Black Wings – Chapter 3: A Touch Of Scarlet**

* * *

Time passed and an obnoxiously hot summer gave way to the cool air of autumn. Midway through October, Magnolia celebrated their annual Harvest Festival with the main highlight being the Fantasia Parade – a show put on by the mages of Fairy Tail with the help of their individual magics. Despite numerous offers, Shinn chose to sit out and watch from the sidelines, wanting to see what it was like to be a spectator before participating himself.

It was now early November and the coming winter was starting to give signs of its imminent arrival. Chilly though it was, as Magnolia began to settle down, Fairy Tail remained as exuberant as ever. Today was no exception with the sounds of a battle ringing loud from behind the guild hall.

Cana, having just arrived, rushed to join the crowed that had gathered; included in this gathering was the fire mage Macao Conbolt and the smoke mage Wakaba Mine, who was indulging in his unhealthy habit as per usual.

''Aw man they're at it again? Don't those guys ever take a break?''

''They've been doing this for the past few months now. You can't still be surprised by it.''

''C'mon Cana, just sit back and enjoy the show!''

A volley of small lightning spheres flew wildly towards their target, either being intercepted or just missing entirely and creating a dusty smokescreen. Laxus powered on, hoping to follow up with a few electricity-charged punches to put a quick end to the match. His opponent wasn't going to be beaten by that tactic again though.

''Dark Pulse!''

The attack knocked Laxus back, at the same time dispelling the cloud of dust obscuring Shinn from view. ''You'll have to try better than that to beat me this time Laxus!'' he said, closing the distance to try and land a winning blow himself.

A dark orb materialized and was subsequently punched. ''Dark Buster!'' The darkness shot forward in a much more direct manner than before but Laxus was able to dodge just in the nick of time.

Cana turned to the two older mages. ''So I forgot, what's the difference between those two spells?'' she asked.

''Well it's all in the hit you see. The way that Shinn hits those balls of magic energy determines the way they react,'' Wakaba replied.

''Uh... huh...?''

Seeing her confusion Macao chose to elaborate. ''What he's saying is that all of those orbs are essentially identical, it's Shinn himself that determines what they turn into. For example, Pulse is created when he performs a palm thrust, making a wide wave of energy that had force behind it, but not all that much destructive power. Buster on the other hand is the result of a punch, making the spell much more concentrated but also more powerful at the same time. You see?''

''Looks like he's about to break out the wings.'' Wakaba's comment refocused the pair's attention back on the fight. The two teens were staring each other down when a dark mist gathered around Shinn's back, dissipated and left a pair of jet black wings.

''Three seconds,'' Laxus noted.

Shinn shook his head. ''Still not enough.''

Laxus wasn't amused as that was a line he had heard many a time over the months they had been working together. ''Alright then, let's see how you handle this!''

Shinn kicked off to avoid the next round of Thunder Bullets just in time, then steadied himself, hovering in the air.

''You gonna stay up there all day?''

''I don't see any problem with it: fresh air, lots of space and much less chance of getting fried... the view's not all that bad either.'' Shinn's carefree attitude was incredibly contradictory to his current situation, especially in light of their previous results. Despite this in Shinn's mind confidence was the first step to victory; with this in mind he lazily rolled out a hand. ''You're done,'' he said, clicking his fingers.

The floor beneath Laxus erupted with multiple explosions much to the spectators' shock.

''What was that?''

''I've never seen that before!''

''Look above, he's going in!''

Shinn moved into a dive bomb, pulling up when in firing range. ''Dark Buster!''

The spell sent debris flying in all directions from the dust. Landing, Shinn turned to the crowed and raised a hand in Fairy Tail's salute, thumb and index finger outstretched as the other fingers remained curled up, grinning victoriously. But there was something... off.

''Come on guys, where's the cheering?'' Everyone stared blankly.

''I mean, I just won right?'' Everyone shook their heads.

''… he's behind me isn't he?'' Everyone nodded.

A hand pat Shinn on the back. ''Not bad.'' His shoulders sagged in defeat as he turned. Laxus had a few scratches but other than that was the image of perfect health.

''Not again... this is going to hurt... isn't it?''

''It's the only way you'll learn,'' he replied, grabbing the front of Shinn's shirt. With one arm he hoisted the winged youth overhead and slammed him face first on the other side. Not finished, he lifted his already-defeated foe in the air, sending a burst of electricity through his body, knocking Shinn out. ''Now come on, enough screwing around. Let's get to work.''

Laxus: 27

Shinn: 0

**Several hours later...**

''You really don't have to do that to me you know?''

''Pain will give you a reason not to lose next time.''

''… are you a sadist?''

''Like hell!''

Mindless chatter had become commonplace over the past few months for the two as they made their way back to Magnolia after a job. Today was not exception as they marched along the path, a rock wall on one side and a deep drop on the other.

''Still,'' Shinn continued, ''I'm not happy about me being your 'punishment'. I mean, I'm not _that_ bad.''

Laxus stopped and looked at Shinn as if he were an idiot. ''You... do realize that was only for a month right?''

''Huh?'' Following his little stunt to jump-start Shinn's magic, Laxus had been ordered to work with him on his missions to make sure everything went smoothly. Apparently no one had thought to inform Shinn of how long it was meant to last. ''Wait a sec... so why are you still sticking with me?''

''I can think of worse people to be partnered with,'' he shrugged before continuing to walk.

Shinn smiled at Laxus' one almost-compliment for the week. 'Guess he's not that bad of a guy after all...' he though looking up. He frowned at what he saw. What little sun they were getting had been covered by an ominous dark cloud. ''I think it's going to rain.''

''Don't jinx it!''

''You don't actually believe that stuff right?''

''You grow wings, I'm ready to believe anything.''

''Point taken.''

No longer than a second later did the first drops begin to pitter patter on the rocks.

''Great! Just great!''

''It's not my fault! Come on we're nearly there, if we run we'll be there faster.''

''Okay, just don't think about flying away or you might find yourself struck by lightning.''

''Like that would hap-''

''Remember who you're talking to.'' Not wanting to waste time getting even wetter Laxus took off at a sprint, Shinn hot on his heels.

The feeling of wetness against his bare feet made Shinn think of his time at Fairy Tail thus far: his first job in which he and Laxus escorted a delivery via train – the shock of seeing the feat of engineering for the first time still fresh in his mind, staying in the orphanage with Cana and the other kids, learning to swim – poorly – in Lake Scilliora, meeting-

''Achoo!''

The sound of a sneeze aroused Shinn's attention, erasing his previous trail of thought. Laxus was too far ahead for it to be him and it certainly wasn't from himself so that meant only one thing...

Sure enough a few seconds later he found a small alcove within which a girl was curled up shivering. She had red hair – all dirty and scruffy as though basic hygiene was unheard of. In addition to that, a filthy white dress and lack of any other items of clothing painted a picture of someone frightened and fending for themself with no one in the world to turn to.

Shinn called out to catch Laxus' attention. ''Hey Laxus! Wait up, there's someone here!'' In the distance the blonde came to a stop and turned around just in time to bark a sudden warning.

''Shinn look out behind you!''

A random stroke of fortune meant that Shinn tripped over his feet and fell to the floor, just under a wild swing of a sword which sailed harmlessly overhead. The redhead wore a look of frenzied panic as she looked down at her would-be victim through her one good eye. The upper right of her face bore a bandage that covered the other.

''No... no stay back!'' she screamed, bringing the blade down once again, causing Shinn to roll to the side before scrambling to his feet dangerously close to the path's edge - and the sheer drop that adjoined it.

''Shinn what the hell's happening?! Who's that girl?''

''Just calm down, I'm trying to help you.''

Her eyes were clouded with a mixture of confusion, defiance and mistrust: a truly terrifying concoction for a girl with a sword to have. Fuelled by her emotions, her blade was brought down yet again, and yet again missed its target as Shinn ducked to the left in a momentary lapse of awareness of the situation. That action caused the girl's momentum to send her flying over the edge and begin a descent with only one destination: death.

When adrenaline courses through the human body time holds no meaning.

The simplest of decisions are made in split-seconds that can last an eternity.

Diving head first off a cliff after a helpless girl is no exception.

''SHINN!''

**Fairy Tail, Makarov's Office...**

''You're sure about this?''

''You saw it yourself. It seems you discovered a lot more than you bargained for.''

''But to think that the Dark Guilds were that far deep into the Bureau of Research and Development...''

''It's troubling to be sure... Still, better they fixed it now before they became and even greater threat.''

Upon the discovery that Dark Chimera – the guild that kidnapped children several months before – were somehow associated with the Bureau by the papers that Gildarts had found in that facility, the Magic Council saw fit to investigate the matter, turning up some quite interesting results. Although still ongoing, the size of Dark Chimera was such that around fifty percent of all activities within the Bureau had been brought to a premature end as the researchers, or rather dark mages, went into hiding.

The pair's discussion was cut short as the door opened abruptly and a dark haired man entered.

''What is it Ivan?'' Makarov asked his son.

''Father, how long do you intend to drag my son down by lumping him together with that boy?'' Ivan spoke as though he were complaining about an infestation of cockroaches in his house.

''We are not having this discussion again. As I said before, it's Laxus' decision at this point. You should be happy that your son has made a friend.''

''_My _son doesn't need a friend like that.''

''Oh come on Ivan lighten up!'' Gildarts got the man in a headlock, grinning. ''Let the kids have their fun.''

Ivan shoved the much more cheerful man away. ''What have I told you about acting friendly with me Clive?'' Straightening himself up he returned his attention to his father and Master. '' I hope you change your tune soon Father.''

''Don't count on it,'' Makarov replied with a hard expression. As soon as Ivan left the room that expression melted and he sighed. ''What am I going to do with him...?''

''If only Alessa were still here. He'd listen to her.''

''Everybody must make their own paths in life Gildarts.''

''I know, I know. It's hard to believe it's been twelve years already.'' His voice was laced with melancholy at the memories. ''God it feels like just yesterday she told us she was having a kid and leaving to marry... uh... that guy.''

Makarov looked on in disbelief. ''You don't even know then name of the man who one of your closest friends married do you?''

''Now hang on! Give me a sec, I know this one...''

''Why do I seriously doubt that...? Gildarts, if you could manage to remember even his last name I'd buy you a drink.''

''Deal! Now what was it again...''

Gildarts wasn't able to continue as the door swung open once again, this time revealing a very out of breath Laxus. ''Quick... hospital... come now!'' He huffed, dashing off again as quickly as he had appeared. Makarov, fearing what had happened, took off after his grandson.

Gildarts stood still for a few seconds then snapped his fingers in realization.

''Strauss! That was the name... I think anyway...'' he shook his head and then tore after the others, opting to blast through the wall rather than use the open door literally a metre away.

''Oops...''

**Magnolia Hospital, nearly midnight...**

Falling...

Falling..

Falling.

Stop.

A fluffy cloud. The kind of comfort she had not known for quite some time.

'Am I... dead?'

As she opened her eye it wasn't the pearly white gates that she saw, rather a dark room. She could barely see with the help of the dim moonlight but it was enough to tell that the 'cloud' she had been laying on was in fact a bed... with a blanket.

''That's something I haven't seen in a while...'' she muttered.

''Ahh, so you're finally awake.''

Perched on the windowsill was a boy with black hair that was almost reaching his shoulders, one arm in a sling. She swung her head side to side looking for-

''Looking for this?'' he asked holding out her sword teasingly.

''Give that back.''

''What so you can skewer me? No thanks.''

She growled in frustration and held out a hand. The blade magically disappeared and then reappeared in her waiting hand.

''Hmm, interesting little trick you've got there. Before you start waving that thing around how about you eat something first?'' he asked, nodding to the bedside table. Sometimes all it takes is a plate of well cooked food to calm a raging sea. After a few moments deliberation she lay the sword to rest and began ripping into the food, her hunger finally being sated.

''Sorry it's not hot, it's been sitting there all evening. Still, you can't beat guild food.''

''Ild hood? Hut do hou bean?''

''There's this thing, it's called swallowing.'' She glared before taking his advice. ''The cooks back at Fairy Tail fixed that up for you.'' She dropped the cutlery with a clatter.

''Fairy Tail? I'm at Fairy Tail?''

''Close to it. You're in the hospital. You were in pretty rough shape.'' The mention of her own condition reminded her of what happened before and of the boy's new injury.

''I'm sorry. I overreacted earlier.''

''Understatement of the century right there...'' he muttered.

''Yeah well...'' She almost didn't want to ask the next question. ''Did I... did I do that to you?''

''Nah, I just clipped myself on a rock during that fall. It's not your fault don't worry about it.''

''But-''

''I said don't worry about it!'' An awkward silence fell between the two. He sighed. ''If you want to make up for it how about you start by telling me your name?''

''Erza... My name's Erza Scarlet.''

''Erza huh? Nice name. I'm Shinn.'' Shinn hopped off the windowsill and sat next to her bed. ''So, Erza, why were you out there anyway?'' In response she turned her head away slightly, sadness flooding her face. In fact it looked like she was almost about to cry.

''I'm sorry... I can't say.''

''You don't remember?''

''No I just... I'm sorry, please don't ask.''

She expected him to look offended by what in her mind was just rude but instead he just smiled. ''Don't worry about it, it's okay if you don't want to talk about it. Now, finish eating and get some rest, Master said he wanted to speak to you first thing in the morning.''

''Wait!'' she cried as he got up.

''What? Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. I, uh, volunteered to stay here for the night to keep an eye on you.'' It was a convenient lie on his point to avoid saying that he too was stuck in for the night because of his arm which in a way was her fault.

''It's not that. Could you tell me about Fairy Tail? I've heard stories... I was on my way there when we... met.''

Surprised though he was, Shinn willingly obliged, taking his seat once more. 'Where do I begin...?' he asked himself. ''Well to start: Fairy Tail's great!''

The two stayed up until the early hours discussing Fairy Tail and a variety of other things until they couldn't keep their eyes open and fell asleep, just as the sun was waking from its slumber.

**Several weeks later...**

The guild was as boisterous as ever with Christmas just around the corner – a mage's work doesn't wait for anything.

''She's sitting alone again,'' Cana observed.

Across the room Erza sat, clad in her armour as usual, apart from everybody else. She had proven herself to be a very stand offish individual, serious and quiet. The most personable Shinn had seen her was the night in the hospital and her one interaction with Porlyusica who had outdone herself by creating Erza a new artificial eye, perfectly identical to the original.

''What's with you always wearing that armour? It's like you're going into battle.''

''At least it's better than your choice of attire, or lack thereof, Gray.'' Despite the ever decreasing temperature and everybody's constant reminders, Gray still managed to be walking around in little more than his underwear. ''Honestly, I didn't realize that Fairy Tail allowed perverts to join.''

''So what're you gonna do today Shinn?''

''I didn't have anything planned, Laxus has gone off somewhere... research maybe?'' Neither of them really cared for watching what was happening between Erza and Gray as it was clear how it would end. Sure enough, seconds later Gray was sprawled out on the floor, thoroughly beaten, bringing forth a chorus of laughter from others who felt it was worth their time to watch. ''On second thoughts...'' Shinn continued, getting up and moving to look at the request board.

It wasn't long until he saw one that took his fancy, tore it off the board and boldly strode over to Erza. ''Hey,'' he greeted, pushing the flyer across the table. ''What do you say? Feel up to it?''

She took her time reading through the request. ''Hunting Banewolves?''

''Yeah, looks like some villagers are getting worried about them getting too close. Sounds pretty simple. There's a good reward too: 200,000 jewels.''

''That village is known for the quality of their produce from farming – namely meat and dairy. It's not surprising that the pay's that good.'' She said in a very matter-of-factly way as she stood up and began to walk away, stopping at the door. ''Well? Are you coming?''

Shinn shook his head in amusement. ''Yes Ma'am,'' he replied and followed her out.

A few minutes later Gray regained consciousness and bolted upright. ''What just happened?''

'Oh Gray, you poor idiot...' Cana thought to herself.

**Later that day...**

Erza calmly wiped the blood of her fallen prey off her blade, the job done.

Shinn breathed a sigh of relief. ''Well that was a bit more than I was expecting.'' What was originally thought to be just a few turned out to be a whole pack of Banewolves, leading to quite the precarious situation of being completely surrounded. Still, the duo were able to hold their own with a combination of Shinn's dark magic and Erza's speedy requipping to emerge the victors. ''Now that's over, how are you holding up?''

''I'm fine, a scratch or two perhaps but nothing major.''

''Good to hear but that wasn't what I was talking about.''

She dispelled her blade and looked at him. ''You want to know how I feel about being in a guild?''

He nodded. ''Exactly, I've seen how you've been acting around the place: eating alone, working alone. It's not good you know.''

Erza looked down as though she were embarrassed, or rather ashamed. ''It's all so strange. Everyone's so happy all the time, acting without a care in the world. I... well I'm just not used to it.'' Instead of a response all she got was laughter. ''What's so funny?!''

''I'm sorry, but to meet a mysterious girl on a rainy day, get attacked by her and then save her life just moments after? Perhaps that's what some would call a 'fateful encounter'?'' Erza tilted her head in confusion. ''Anyway, how will acting the way you are help you get along with everyone?''

''Well... given a bit of time I'm sure I'll get used to it...''

''Erza listen: I know what it's like having trouble figuring out how to act around others. But at some point you just have to stop thinking and act naturally. And hell at least you have a personality to work with; it took a month for me to figure mine out.''

The red head frowned. '''Figure yours out'?''

''Don't worry. Do you get what I'm trying to tell you?''

''Yeah I think I do... thank you Shinn.'' Erza smiled warmly at Shinn – it was the happiest he had seen her since getting her eye back. ''Starting tomorrow I promise that I will make a new start.''

''Nope, you're starting the moment we get back to the guild!'' He grinned mischievously. ''Besides, with you around perhaps we can finally put an end to Gray's wardrobe malfunctions.''

Spoiler: they don't...

* * *

**Next time: Chapter 4 - Ambitions**

**Hope to see you there!**


	4. Ambitions

**Author's notes: Hey guys and girls, Vex here with the next chapter of Black wings!  
**

**College (or sixth form, whichever you prefer) is now taking up so much of my day and yet at the weekends I feel more productive than I did all summer so that's cool. Hopefully this chapter turned out okay and I'll be able to get the next out in two weeks or so? Meh, I'll just see how it goes... not exactly riviting notes to read are these? *Laughs* I guess I'll have to work on that.  
**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and any feedback would be appreciated.**

**- Vex out!**

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**Black Wings – Chapter 4: Ambitions**

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**Fairy Hills: Male Dorms**

An alarm clock was one of the worst things to hear in the morning, something that Shinn had discovered recently much to his regret. Irritated, he reached out blindly for the destroyer of dreams and tossed it across the room. The action produced mixed results: true it stopped the alarm but now he would have to go buy yet another replacement.

Bleary eyed, he propped himself up on his elbows to look at the clock's shattered remains. ''Crap. Why did I even... oh, right.'' He remembered the small stack of books sitting beside his bed. Some 'light reading' he would call it although others would beg to differ.

Seeing no point in trying to go back to sleep Shinn dragged himself out of bed and made his way into the bathroom. Turning on the shower he stepped in, forgetting that he was still wearing a pair of shorts that he had slept in and promptly tossed them out, splatting into the wall with their now sogginess.

Standing under the running water made it feel like a dark cloud of tiredness was just being washed away in a stream of warmth. A nice warm shower: the perfect remedy for early morning grumpiness. When done he stepped out and grabbed a small towel from the rack proceeding to go to town in drying his hair with great ferocity. Finished he let the towel drop to the floor and reached behind his head, gathering his hair into a bunch and then holding it together with a band to form a small pony tail.

He then wiped the condensation off a mirror hanging on the wall to continue his daily routine which involved taking a small pinch of dust from a pot and flicking it into his eyes, one after the other. After waiting a few seconds with his eyes closed he opened them to see a pair of bright green eyes looking back at him.

''Hmm not bad.'' he murmured taking in the view. Looking back at him was a normal teenage boy with normal eyes. After nearly a year in the outside world his skin had lost its paleness, instead it now lay on the borderline of being tanned. Some stray strands of hair drooped over his brow while the rest was either in the ponytail or in the bangs that framed his face.

A thought struck him that staring at one's self every morning might not be the most normal thing in the world, as it did most days. ''Right, enough self admiration!'' he declared, leaving the en suite and re-entering the main bedroom. Plain with little more than a bed, lighting and a chest of drawers was all the furnishing that the room really had but that suited him just fine. It was cheap, simple and left enough money to buy a new alarm clock every other day.

Shinn threw on some underwear and trousers, opting to not put his shirt on yet – instead just half tucking it into his trousers. As he threw open the doors to the balcony a fresh breeze flowed into the room; although still somewhat chilly, Spring was doing its best to make the environment a much more habitable place than it had been for the past few months. The sun was hanging just over the hills to the north, its early morning rays shimmering brilliantly on the waters of Lake Scilliora which spread out before Shinn's vision as it did every morning. On the western shore you could just make out Fairy Hills' female dorms where the girls of the guild would stay – providing they were able to make the 100,000 jewel rent every month. Finally to the south sat Magnolia and Fairy Tail. It was almost as though the guild had privatised all the best views in the area, something Shinn had no complaints about.

He retreated back inside for a moment to collect the books, pausing for a moment considering whether he should go see if Laxus was awake.

''Better not... last time I woke him up he didn't speak to me for a week.''

It was an understatement to say that Laxus wasn't happy with being woken up at the crack of dawn... or any time before ten for that matter. Besides, if he were to be awake that would mean that Shinn would miss out on the best part of his morning routine – something that he and he alone can do.

The exhilarating feeling of letting gravity pull you to the earth before swooping back into the skies was like no other; seeing the world from a point of view that no other human was freely able to experience was something he did every day of his life. Sometimes he would just fly around for the fun of it until he got tired although it certainly wasn't easy to reach the level of control that he had now: fatigue, many crashes and one unfortunate incident with a flock of birds were just a few of the issues he had.

Being able to gently land in front of the guild every day put it into perspective of just how much his life had changed in just under a year. Finishing off as he always did by dispelling his wings and putting on his shirt as he stepped inside, ready to begin another day of work.

''Oh, good morning Shinn, you're early today,'' one of the waitresses who worked at Fairy Tail greeted. There were only a few others awake at this early hour seated at tables here and there.

''Yeah well, I've got a bit of work to do,'' he replied, nodding to his books.

''Ahh I see. I think with work like that you're going to need some breakfast.''

Shinn had built something of a reputation with the girls who ran the guild hall when it came to his morning meals.

''Why have breakfast when I can skip right to dessert?''

''You know I really shouldn't...''

''But...?'' They both knew what was coming - different day, same result.

''One strawberry sundae coming up.''

''Thanks, you'll know where to find me.''

Aside from the main hall and basement there were other rooms within the building including a small library... well less of a library more of a storeroom of books. The fairy sizeable collection that the guild had gathered over the years were kept in a small room with a high ceiling and shelves lining the walls that reached almost as high, each of them packed to breaking point. The hundreds of books varying from history books to the most complicated magic theory books you could imagine were arranged in no discernible order, something that people spoke about fixing from time to time but never got round to given how monumental an undertaking it would be.

Shoving the books back into place took long enough that Shinn's 'breakfast' was delivered.

''Just look at the state of this place!'' Everyone had the same reaction whenever they saw it. ''I don't see why anyone would want to come back here.''

Shinn chuckled. ''Well at least I can work in peace here.''

''That's true. Good luck.'' Once again he was alone.

Within the room he lost all track of time looking for texts that would be worth his time reading, not a one being easy to get a hold of seeing as every shelf had its contents packed in like sardines.

''Morning Shinn!'' The voice surprised him enough to lose his balance on the ladder which he was standing as he attempted to pull one stubborn book away from its tightly packed home on the very top shelf. First he fell, then the book and others that it was jammed between.

''Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!''

Shinn, pretty much unharmed, looked up at the petite girl standing above him and sighed. ''Hello Levy.''

''Are you okay Shinn?'' Levy was a sweet girl: cheerful, polite and always worrying about other people. She was also something of a bookworm so Shinn could always count on her to give her opinion on whatever he was reading at the time. It definitely made a change to have intelligent conversation every now and then.

''Yeah I'm fine, help me clean these up will you?''

''Right, of course,'' she answered, bending down to help pick up the mess.

''It's nice to see someone else doesn't fear the morning,'' he joked in an effort to lighten the mood.

Levy giggled, ''Well I'm not the only one you know?''

Shinn was about the reply when he heard a small 'tink' sound from behind. A wave of dread shot through his body as though he had been told that a beloved family pet had just died. He asked hesitantly, ''Levy... you did come here alone... right?''

''She did not.''

Standing there, half eaten sundae in hand, was Erza. She looked rather satisfied with herself as she swallowed another mouthful of the sweet ice creamy goodness. _His _sweet ice creamy goodness.

''Hey! That's my breakfast you're eating there!''

''What kind of a person eats this for breakfast? To be honest I think I'm doing you a favour. Besides, you shouldn't be eating in here anyway!'' Her lecture reeked of hypocrisy as she herself could be seen eating a cake on occasion in the mornings. Unfortunately there was no point in bringing it up now – it wasn't like it would just magically restore his food. Erza had a way of winning nearly every argument she got into, it was a blessing for her and a curse on everyone else.

''Come on,'' he said, defeated, ''let's head back through.'' Before the girl's arrival Shinn had managed to pick out a selection of books that would last him a while and with them there it wasn't like it would make any difference where he was.

The main hall had filled a bit since he began his rummaging; most tables had at least one person occupying them. The three sat at one of the few that were still empty and Shinn dove into the first book – an encyclopedia of creatures – while Erza probed the younger girl into how her studies were going. Levy was not yet a mage, instead she was still training in the magical art of Solid Script, a word based magic that materializes words in the form of their subject. For example writing the word 'fire' would create it in fire which could then be used for attacking.

Shinn was so engrossed in his reading that he didn't notice Levy trying to get his attention. Erza reached out and snatched the book away. ''Hey I was reading that!''

''And Levy's asking you a question!'' Said girl looked slightly embarrassed as she held out what looked like a pair of glasses.

''Here... I thought you might like these.''

He raised an eyebrow in confusion. ''You do know that I can see just fine right?'' he asked as he took them.

''I know that. These aren't ordinary glasses though: they're Gale Fo-''

''Gale-Force Reading Glasses?! Seriously? Why are you giving me these?'' They were created to allow the wearer to read at speeds beyond that which the human eye would normally be capable of and were fairly new so they were hardly cheap. The fact that Levy was giving them to him made for a very exciting present.

''My parents got me the x4 model a few days ago so I don't need these anymore. They're only the x2 though..''

''Who cares? Oh Levy I could hug you right about now!''

''Y-you don't have to do that!'' she stammered as her cheeks became just a bit more red than before, something Shinn would have noticed had he not been too busy putting on and taking off the glasses repeatedly with a dazed look on his face. ''What's wrong?''

''It's... nothing...''

''You see clearer with them don't you?'' Erza had hit the nail in just one shot, something that Shinn wasn't about to let her know.

''No, I was just, uhh...''

''I'm right and you know it. You need glasses!'' She narrowed her eyes as though she were identifying every imperfection about him. ''Speaking of which you also need to start wearing shoes, it's weird to walk around bare footed all the time.''

''Shoes are uncomfortable. Besides, I fly most of the time anyway.''

''That's irrelevant. More importantly we need to do something about that hair of yours.''

''Hey now you leave my hair out of this!''

''She's right Shinn, you're starting to look like a girl.'' Levy's addition didn't go unheard by others around who had been listening to their conversation and were now snickering as they enjoyed the early morning show.

''I do not look like a girl!''

They would have continued had it not been for the shadow that fell across their table. ''How disgraceful.'' The shadow was cast by Ivan Dreyar who leered down upon the trio in disgust. ''Making a scene like this, you should be ashamed.''

''Hey come on Ivan cut the kids a break,'' one person called out.

''Yeah let them have their fun,'' another added.

Shinn stood up. ''I'm sorry sir. We'll keep the noise down.'' His tone was solemn though his eyes showed defiance, as though he were holding back a burning desire to lash out.

''Make sure you do. To think that it's people like you who're the future of this guild. It makes my stomach turn.'' Shinn sat back down as Ivan strode away once more.

''Sorry you two, I think that was more aimed at me than you.''

''Why does that guy hate you so much?'' Levy whispered in case Ivan was still within earshot.

''He says that I'm a bad influence on Laxus; that I shouldn't be here, thinks I'm a 'freak' and 'unnatural'.''

''That's horrible!'' she gasped.

''That's right. He only does it because he's the master's son.'' Yet again Erza was right on the money.

Ivan, together with Gildarts, were the guild's only active S-Class mages which meant that below Makarov they were the strongest in the guild and the only two who could take on S-Class jobs. Despite that they couldn't be more different. Gildarts was a jovial man who could usually be seen socializing with the guild's members when he wasn't away on a job – on the other hand you have Ivan: a cold, calculating man who looked down upon everyone he deemed unworthy. Perhaps due to the fact, as Erza pointed out, that he was Makarov's son.

''True but he does have a point I guess. I've spent months searching and I've come no closer to explaining how my magic works. We've ruled out Aera because wings produced that way have only a limited timespan and they don't have nerves running through them. Mine on the other hand become like a part of my body.''

The atmosphere at the table had become rather gloomy following Ivan's intervention.

''...but hey, at least with these I might get to the answer a bit quicker,'' he said, winking to Levy.

''Right.'' She smiled, the mood starting to pick up once more.

**Later...**

Laxus sat on one of the sandy beaches that sat around the lake. The beauty of the evening sun reflecting off the water was lost on him as he was trapped in thoughts of his past.

_''Grampa, do you think I can be in Fairy Tail too?''_

_''Sure, when you're older that is.''_

_The child Laxus jumped up and down in celebration as the two made their way to the Fantasia parade that year._

_''Aww man, it's so crowded. I can't see anything.'' An eight year old could hardly be expected to compete with the crowds that had gathered that night. Luckily Makarov was there and grew in size until he was nearly the size of one of the smaller floats, letting Laxus sit on his shoulders._

_''See? Us Fairy Tail mages are pretty cool huh?''_

_''Oh yeah!''_

_Three years later he officially joined. Having spent his whole life around the guild, everyone knew about him... about Makrov's grandson... the grandson of Fairy Tail's master... the grandson of one of the ten wizard saints...  
_

''Hey Laxus, you okay? You never turned up so I came looking for you''

''Yeah... I was just thinking.'' Shinn was the only person who knew where it was when Laxus wanted to be alone so they would often sit on the beach and talk or spar or whatever else they felt like doing. ''Listen, I heard about what happened earlier with dad... I'm sorry.''

''What're you saying? It's not your fault that your dad's a dick... no offense.''

''So you love saying.''

Shinn chuckled. ''Here.'' He tossed Laxus a smooth round pebble and then threw another out onto the water, skimming along the surface as it made five hops. ''Laxus. Do you have a dream?''

''What?'' The question came out of nowhere and so caught him off guard. ''Where'd that come from?''

''I read it in a book. A man had a dream and spent his whole life trying to make that dream a reality. I don't get how someone could dedicate their whole life to making just one thing happen.'' Questions like these would come up from time to time when Shinn would come across a concept that he was unfamiliar with. Whatever the question, Laxus was always the first person he would go to.

''If someone wants something badly enough they will do anything to make sure it happens.''

''I see.. so do you have anything like that?''

''Sure. One day I'm going to be the master of Fairy Tail. All my life I've just been 'Makarov's grandson'. I want to be me: Laxus. I want to be known for what I do not what my family's done before me.'' His grip on the stone tightened as electricity sparked around his hand. ''Its not fair! I just want to be my own person, is that so much to ask?!'' he yelled as he threw the now-charged pebble which instantly caused a small explosion of water when the two came into contact.

''I don't know about most people... but to me you're just Laxus. I'm sure there are others who feel the same way too. If that's your dream then I'll do my best to help you get there, there's gotta be perks to having a friend who's master of a guild.''

Even though there was a layer of selfishness there, Laxus could tell it was said in jest. The person standing before him really meant what he was saying and he was almost inclined to believe those words too. ''Thanks Shinn.''

''No problem. Now stop moping around here and let's go! We've got a job to do.''

The partners left the solitude of the beach and returned to civilization, and all the issue that come with it.

**Meanwhile at the Fiore Branch of the Magic Council...**

In the center of the town of Era is a mountain, sitting on top of which is the Magic Council's Fiore Branch. Presently, the members of the Magic Council were meeting in regards to recent events in the world.

''We've received reports from the Rune Knights. It appears that all seven of the R-systems have been neutralized.''

''Well that's a relief, it's certainly a worrying prospect as to what could be done with such things should they be in the wrong hands.''

''Indeed, we were lucky to have learned of the situation as soon as we did.''

''Speaking of which: where is she? I would have thought that she would have returned by now.''

''Apparently she left a few days ago to meet with a friend whom she believed would be a valuable addition to the knights.''

''I understand what she has done but are we wise in trusting someone so young?''

''She may be young but her knowledge is that of one far beyond her age. A rare find to be sure...''

**Meanwhile...**

The slight swaying of a train, the occasional jolt as the wheels roll against the tracks, it had an oddly therapeutic effect in her mind. Her companion on the other hand did not share the same sentiment.

''Is it going to be this dull the whole way there?''

''I'm sorry but yes. There's no helping it I'm afraid.''

''Very well. I suppose I should thank you for helping me with this.''

''Don't thank me yet, it's far from certain that things will turn out how you envisage them.''

''Hmhmhm, don't you worry about that. I'm sure everything will work out in the end.''

The two teens had a compartment all to themselves as the train sped across the landscape approaching the next town.

_''Ladies and gentlemen we are now pulling into Magnolia station.''_

''At this speed we should arrive just before midnight,'' the girl said.

''I see,'' replied the boy. ''I just wish we could have some form of entertainment to pass the time.'' Unbeknownst to them unseen watchers were planning on making their journey an eventful one.

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**Next time: Chapter 5 - Encounters  
**

**Hope to see you there!**


	5. Encounters

**Auther's Notes: Hiya, hiya! Great to see ya boys and girls, Vex is back with another chapter of Black Wings!**

**Good Lord, it's been a while hasn't it? It's almost as though I forgot about this story completely. *Looks around, chuckling nervously* But really, procrastination has not been my friend over the past what, two months is it? Meh, close enough.**

**I hope to get back into the swing of this story, at least managing to update once a month. AT LEAST!**

**Now, I think we need a little recap after our long break. It's been a little over a year since Shinn joined Fairy Tail and he is now feeling like he's found his place, even if others *coughIvancough* don't agree with that. He and Laxus, now firm partners, were about to leave on their newest job when we left off, unaware that someone on the train was about to be targeted...**

**So, I ope you enjoy this latest chapter of Black Wings and I'd love to hear some feedback.**

**- Vex out!**

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**Black Wings - Chapter 5: Encounters**

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''Do it.''

''No.''

''Come on, give it a try.''

''Never. Not happening.''

''Why not?''

Laxus turned to Shinn, a look of irritation on his face. ''Because unlike you, normal people tend to wear shoes.''

Shinn stood up. ''I'll never understand how people do that. They're so damn uncomfortable.'' The pair sat on the roof of the speeding train on their way to the job Shinn had picked up earlier that day. This was common practice for the duo after months of working together, brought about by Shinn's dislike towards being 'trapped' in a metal box.

''Just look,'' he said, raising a foot in the air close to Laxus' face and wiggling his toes. ''Look how free and happy they are!''

''Get that out of my face, ''Laxus ordered, batting the shoeless foot away. After a brief stumble, Shinn regained his balance on the rocking roof. Just as he was about to retort numerous holes appeared in the spot he had just stood, accompanied by the sound of gunfire. The two looked to the holes, then to each other.

Things were about to get interesting.

**Inside the carriage…**

The passengers cowered in fear.

The hijackers had shot a burst of bullets in the air, silencing the terrified occupants. ''Right, we'll go on ahead and find her. You stay here and make sure nothing… unfortunate happens.'' This last part was said with a malicious grin. As instructed, the group he had been addressing watched as their boss and some others left.

The remaining two looked around, guns held ready to put down any troublemakers. To their disappointment nothing happened - the people just sat there, paralyzed by their fear. ''Look at all the good little boys and girls,'' grunt number one said. Grunt number two laughed.

There was then a loud knocking from somewhere. ''Who did that?'' It was brief but for a second, they could have sworn that they saw a shadow just out the window. Number two dashed out to the connection between the two carriages, looking left and right. ''See anything?''

''No... but-'' He disappeared, knocked off the train by an overhead kick, and was replaced by Shinn, arms folded and smirking – his wings were fully unfurled. ''One down.''

''What the hell? You'll regret that, you freak!'' he yelled, taking aim. He didn't have the time to fire though as something crashed through the roof directly above him. It struck him hard, leaving him incapable of resisting the hand that placed itself on his head, nor the electricity that surged through his body. ''And that makes two,'' Laxus finished. ''Split up, I'll head through the carriages, you go over and cut them off.''

''Roger.'' Shinn acknowledged shooting upwards with a beat of his wings.

Laxus cast his gaze on the people around him. Their terror was almost palpable. ''I'm no good at this stuff...'' he sighed. ''Listen up, You're all going to be fine, just stay here and keep quiet, Fairy Tail's gonna take care of this.'' With each footstep he took the tension in the room broke a little more and as he left, the briefest of smiles appeared on the people's faces.

...

Further ahead in the VIP car the occupants were hearing the first signs of discord on their journey.

''What was that?'' the girl wondered aloud at the gunfire which she could swear was getting nearer. She didn't have to wait for her answer as the door slid open and she and her friend suddenly found themselves at gunpoint. A man with a sadistic grin leered down at her. ''Miss Milkovich? You'll be coming with us now.''

Hearing this, the person with a tattoo running across his left eye chuckled. ''It looks like the entertainment's arrived...''

…

In the skies Shinn was noticing something strange.

'Is it just me or is this thing speeding up?' he thought. Each second it was becoming more and more difficult to keep up with the locomotive below, as though the train were pushing itself to outrun the bird of prey that it had fallen in sight of. Focusing his magic energy he gained enough speed to land outside the door to the engine room.

He tried the door. ''Locked? Well then,'' he murmured, producing one orb which he used to blast the lock out of existence. ''Open sesame!'' he yelled, kicking the door open. The response he received was that of gunfire which he ducked and then flung two more orbs. The men, now disarmed, had but a second to look worried before being knocked unconscious.

''Hey thanks for that, kid,'' the driver said.

''No problem. Looks like this really isn't our lucky day. Any idea what these guys are here for?'' Shinn asked, dumping the two into the corned of the room.

''No idea, so far as I know this is just your run of the mill train, nothing worth stealing here.''

''Alright,'' Shinn nodded. ''How about you slow down this thing before we crash?'' he said, remembering the reason he came here.

The driver set about reducing the near-dangerous level of speed that they were currently travelling. ''I don't know if it'll help but I did overhear something those guys were talking about...''

**With Laxus...**

''What the hell do you mean crash the train?''

''We were supposed to jump to one of ours when we passed by. That's all I know!''

''Okay, so why are you guys here?''

''I told you, that's all I know!''

''Oh really? Well maybe this will help jog your memory.'' A crackling of electricity and screams of pain were heard. ''Now tell me what you're here for!''

''Alright! Alright! We're just here for the girl, no one else mattered!''

''What girl? What's her name?'' Laxus yelled at the man he had pinned to the wall.

''I don't-'' Blood spurted from his head and he fell limp before he could finish. From the next compartment Laxus could see a couple more of the thugs, one of which with a person slung over his shoulder. Before he could be shot too, Laxus dove into an empty compartment.

''That was close. Now what?'' He looked around trying to decide what he should do next. His eyes came to a stop at the window. ''Guess that'll do,'' he muttered, smashing the window. He leaned out and pulled himself up onto the roof once more. He did this just in time to meet those who had just shot at him climbing up also – the girl still with them.

The young mage shot a volley of Thunder Bullets as he dashed forward, leaping over the gap between carriages. All but one went down quickly enough. Laxus charged the one still holding the girl, intending to take him down with one punch. His target had other ideas. The girl was thrown aside and he drew a pistol that stopped Laxus in his tracks as it pressed against his temple.

'Tch, so close.' Laxus' fist was merely inches from its target.

''You know, this job was a lot more interesting than I thought it'd be thanks to you, so thanks for that Sparky.''

''There's no way you're getting away now. You might as well give yourself up.''

He laughed. ''That's a good one! Sure we missed our stop 'cos of your meddling but I think I'll manage with Plan B. You on the other hand...'' he pressed the barrel against Laxus' head. ''Well, it looks like this is the end of the line for you kid.''

''LAXUS MOVE!''

The blonde dove back just in time - ''Dark Buster!'' - to see his would-be killer go sailing off of the train. ''Phew, that was a close call.''

He turned to Shinn. ''You sure took your time.''

''Oh come on cut me some slack, I got here didn't I? So, is this her?'' he asked, poking the girl.

''Yeah, seems like it.''

''She looks so ordinary. Wonder what they wanted with her?''

''A good question!'' A golden blur shot past them and landed, dissipating to reveal a male around their age with blue hair and a tattoo running across his left eye. He threw to the ground the man whom had just been knocked off nearly two minutes ago.

Shinn looked to the boy, then the man, then Laxus. ''Wait... what? How did...? But he... can you fly?''

The newcomer laughed. ''In a way I suppose I can. Just for future reference: it might be better to capture the criminal rather than throwing them off into the wild. I've collected several of these guys that you've thrown off already.''

Shinn wore a sheepish grin under Laxus' glare, who sighed. ''Is she with you by any chance?''

''Yes I am.'' The girl had apparently woken up and was getting to her feet. Her long black hair cloaked her face, making it impossible to see her properly. They an inopportune bump in the tracks just as she stood up.

''Careful!'' Shinn grabbed her arm to hold her steady.

''Thank you, but I'm fine.'' She brushed her hair out of her face and looked at the person who had helped her. ''Are you okay?''

Shinn had a hand pressed against his face as though in pain. 'What the hell? Ugh, my head...' It felt as though a hand had gotten inside his brain and began to squeeze. It was a pressure and pain he had never before experienced. The intensity forced him to his knees, blinding his senses. He was going to vomit.

''Hey.''

A hand grabbed his shoulder and the pain disappeared; the rumbling of the train and the whooshing wind returned, along with the rest of the world

''Snap out of it.''

''I'm fine,'' he mumbled, shaking off Laxus' hand. ''Just a little dizzy. Maybe I used up more magic than I thought.''

''Right.'' Laxus gave a half-smile. ''In any case, let's get back inside. You two come with... us?'' His smile disappeared. They were alone, no indication was left that the other people had just been there, standing right in front of them. ''What the hell?''

**That night…**

The cave was near pitch black and deathly silent other than the pacing of a pair of feet.

''They failed.''

''So it would appear.''

The footsteps stopped.

''I knew it was a bad idea, we should have found better people... or maybe just gone ourselves.''

''You know we couldn't do that.''

Footsteps resumed, echoing through the rocky cavern.

''Yeah, you're right. It's just so frustrating!''

''I understand that, we need to be patient, we're in no state to-''

''I know that dammit! Sorry...''

''Don't apologize.''

''This was just such a perfect opportunity! Who knows when we'll get another chance?''

''There'll be others.''

''I was so excited... we were going to finally meet her...''

''If you wanted to meet me you could have just asked.''

The pacing stopped once more and a pair of heads swung to the entrance. There, illuminated by the light of the moon was a black-haired girl with a boy standing behind her. ''Now tell me, who are you?'' No verbal answer was given, rather the sound of uneven footsteps. She stood stoic, awaiting whatever was coming.

She did not expect to be embraced.

Today was a very strange day for Ultear Milkovich.

**Several days later, Fairy Tail guild hall...**

''Hey! It looks like you two had an eventful trip.''

This was the greeting Shinn and Laxus received upon their return to the guild. They looked at Gray, confused. ''What are you talking about?''

''Take a look!'' Cana shoved an open newspaper into their faces, The headline read: _73 Saved By Fairy Tail Mages!_

''What the...''

''Just read will ya?''

_Last night, a train bound for Era was hijacked by a group of criminals who intended to crash the train. Fortunately for the 73 people currently riding said train, two young Mages of Fairy Tail appeared and resolved the situation. One eyewitness says ''They just turned up out of nowhere and took down those guys. It was amazing!'' Another said, ''When I heard him say that we were going to be all right, I believed him. I don't know who you are but thank you, if it weren't for you we might not be here right now.''  
_

_Fairy Tail, located in Magnolia, is a guild that..._

''Laxus...'' He turned to Shinn, ''...we're famous!''

''Shut up you idiot,'' he said, knocking him over the head, inwardly grinning at what he had just read. Laughter resonated throughout the hall and drinks were poured as friends and guild members conversed: some about jobs, others about interesting news and a few just mindlessly gossiping. If there was ever a place that could make the saddest man smile, it would be Fairy Tail.

''OI! WHERE THE HELL IS THE MASTER OF THIS PLACE?!''

All eyes turned to the doorway, where three figures stood, all young. Two were properly dressed, a little girl in a pink dress and a stocky boy in a blue suit. The both appeared bashful, looking down at the floor – a stark opposite to the third.

A girl, clearly the oldest, strode into the hall, giving not a single damn to the looks she was receiving. Clad in a revealing short, black shirt and leather skirt she was the very definition of a punk. Each step of her boots echoed through the guild like a drumbeat. At first glance you'd never think they were siblings were it not for the same snow white hair they shared.

''Well? Anyone gonna tell me?'' It was hard to discern if she was asking a question or making a threat.

''I don't know who you are but you have no right to come in here with that kind of attitude.'' Erza was the first to step forward and face the punk.

''Oh, I'm so sorry princess. Whatever was I thinking? Maybe I should curtsey, or perhaps you'd like me to kneel and beg for you to tell me.'' Every word dripped with venom as she spat them out. Little did she know, Erza was one person who wouldn't back down so easily.

''Listen, I suggest you turn around and leave now, otherwise I'll kick you out myself.'' It wouldn't be the first time she'd done so either.

Erza's opponent laughed. ''You really think you could? Come on bitch, just try it,'' she challenged and then spat in the young swordstress' face. Erza wasted no time summoning her blade and attempting to strike down she who had just blatantly disrespected her. It appeared that the other girl was too fast though, dancing all over the room, always one step ahead of the enraged red-head.

Shinn, along with everyone else in the guild, couldn't believe what they were seeing – how quickly the situation had escalated. It seemed nobody knew what to do. He looked back to the door, remembering there was more than one visitor. The boy was shifting uncomfortable while the girl watched with wide-eyed concern over what was happening.

He decided to approach, thinking that the only way this was going to be resolved would be to get some answers. 'Hey, what's her problem?'' he asked thumbing to the girl.

''I'm sorry about her. Our sister is a bit... confrontational,'' the boy said.

Shinn smiled at this. ''Yeah just a bit. So tell me, what're your names?''

''HEY! YOU GET AWAY FROM THEM!''

Shinn found him being shoved back and then pulled in as the girl grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

''You talk to anyone you talk to me, got it?''

It was the first time he got a good look at her face – those striking blue eyes. That face was a snapshot that would live on in his memory for many years. She looked angrier than Makarov was that time they blew out a whole wall of the guild hall during a fight. In spite of this, Shinn grinned. ''What's wrong? Afraid the big bad stranger is gonna gobble them up?''

''Listen to me you prick-''

''No, you listen to me! I'd rather get this sorted before you and Erza,'' who now stood next to Shinn, still armed, ''wreck the place. I thought I'd talk to someone who will actually give me some answers and not some skank who's picking fights for no reason.''

''Why you-''

''Welcome back, Gildarts.''

Cana's loud greeting silenced the room. Gildarts towered over everyone as he surveyed the situation. His eyes came to a stop at the white-haired trio and he broke out into a huge grin. ''I thought I saw you kids heading this way.'' His reaction was very unexpected.

''You know these guys Gildarts?'' Grey asked.

The girl let go of Shinn's shirt. ''Are you really him? Are you Gildarts?'' she asked in awe.

''In the flesh. It's been a long time Mirajane.'' He turned to the boy. ''Look at you Elfman! I remember when you were still crawling around on the floor!'' He turned to the last member of the family and crouched down, going to eye level with the girl. ''And that means you're the one I haven't met yet. Lisanna, right?''

''Yes Sir,'' she said, speaking for the first time. ''It's very nice to meet you Sir,'' she bowed as she added this last part.

''None of this 'Sir' stuff, you're making me feel old!'' He laughed. ''Gildarts is fine.''

''Gildarts,'' the punk girl Mirajane stepped towards him, ''do you know where we could find Fairy Tail's Master?'' She was being surprisingly civil all of a sudden.

''Hmm, that's a good question. A better question though would be where is Alessa?'' He looked the happiest anyone had seen in some time as he began his ramble. ''I swear, that woman, sending her children off on errands here and not coming herself. She should just come here, it's been forever since she last did. When you guys go back I want you to tell her-''

''She's dead.''


End file.
